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PERSONALITY – ALFIE GOODRICH, FOR WHOM PHOTOGRAPHY IS MORE THAN JUST TAKING PHOTOS

June 13, 2015, Personality

“My job is to inspire people; that’s why I teach photography as a language, or as a story”, says Alfie, as we talk about his move to Tokyo 8 years ago, his students, and his aspirations. Alfie’s calm and confident manner puts us at ease as we sip green tea in a beautiful gallery.

PERSONAL

“I visited Japan for the first time 16 years ago. It was quite a shift in comparison with the UK. Since I used to work for a record label, shooting music photography, there wasn't really any question about what I was going to do in Tokyo. I started with photography projects and then realised there were so many people interested in both English and photography lessons, so I dived into this new world.”

“What I noticed back in my college days was that many tutors were great, extraordinary even… but they weren’t practitioners! It's a rich life, and work experience that is put into photography makes a real difference. Certainly, a person must be technically capable but that alone is not enough – he or she has to be able to express themselves through a photograph. That's why, on top of the technicalities, I also teach my students the history of photography – I find it gives them relevance and food for thought. Visual literacy and context is always important”, shares Alfie, and we nod to show how much we agree.

“There are certainly more and more women in Japan who are getting involved with photography. For one, it’s a great way to express oneself creatively and not be disturbed by the competition or any social rules. Another strong trend is that major camera producers are heavily promoting cameras for females, in various sizes and colour combinations. Mobile phones also do a good job of promoting photography as a regular hobby.”

HASSELBLAD

“There’s no such thing as an old Hasselblad, there’s simply a new owner”, smiles Alfie, as he explains that Hasselblad (link to www.hasselblad.com) (technologically sophisticated photo cameras, famous for being selected for NASA space missions!) has a unique distribution system, which involves buying back old Hasselblads, repairing them and selling them to new owners. “I became a Hasselblad brand ambassador a year ago and it has been an interesting journey since then – I get to test all of the new cameras and lenses, and give my own opinion. With the rapid and constant changes in this media era, the key is knowing where you are and who you are in order to convey this message through your photographs.”